Her mismatched relationship with spiritual introvert Dino thoroughly entertained fans – but the ill-fated romance meant Melissa’s time on the show came to an end at the fourth commitment ceremony.
Yet the former talent agent, 38 – who confessed on the show that she hasn’t had sex since 2009 – still amassed a huge Instagram following, and says that the overnight fame was both a blessing and a curse for her confidence.
She says, “I only joined Instagram just before the show filmed, and when it aired I got thousands of followers. It’s great – but while you might get hundreds of nice comments, one negative one calling you ugly really lodges in your mind. I had – and still have – people criticising my face, my weight, my loudness. It does stick with you.”
And Melissa also says that her MAFS co-stars’ transformations have inspired her to want to get surgery done herself, so that she feels better in her own skin.
She says, “Since the show, I’ve had Botox, but never any surgery. But my friend Tamara has had amazing work done, and I want to see the guy she went to. I think I want a nose job and facelift, and maybe more.
“I think a lot of girls go overboard when they’re so young, but I’m older – I’m not in my teens or twenties. I’ve thought about it for a long time and done my research, and I think I’d be more confident with some work done.”
Check out: Married At First Sight Australia - which couples are still together?
Which Married At First Sight Australia couples are still together? - slider
1 of 12Sam Ball and Elizabeth Sobinoff
Sam and Elizabeth might not have lasted, as Sam seemed far more interested in Ines. But Lizzie was the true winner - she was so popular with viewers she appeared on the next series of the show, finding love with Seb Guilhaus. But, sadly, they split earlier this month after a year together.
2 of 12Cyrell Jimenez and Nic Jovanovic
'Cyclone Cyrell' and Nic's tumultuous relationship was, sadly, not to last. But prepare for another reality TV crossover, as Cyrell now has a baby with Love Island runner-up Eden Dally.
3 of 12Lauren Huntriss and Matthew Bennett
One of the biggest storylines this season was about Matthew and his virginity, as he was repeatedly labelled as 'virgin'/'ex-virgin' Matt by the narrator. Anyway, Matthew was matched with Lauren - who, yes, he lost his virginity to - but it all went horribly wrong when Lauren heard Matthew telling the other guys at dinner that he wasn't sexually attracted to Lauren. AWKWARD. Lauren is still a make-up artist, we don't know if she's dating anyone. But on the other hand, self-confessed fitness enthusiast Matthew is loved up with a new girlfriend - who he met at a wrestling tryout.
4 of 12Mike Gunner and Heidi Latcham
Mike and Heidi's relationship was one which could have gone either way, but after the show, the pair split - announcing the sad news at the post-finale reunion special. 'Right after the final vows, Heidi and I went back to the Gold Coast together but it didn't take long and the wheels started coming off,' Mike explained. Heidi has said she hasn't spoken to her former husband since. From the looks of their Instagram pages, they still look single.
5 of 12Cam Merchant and Jules Robinson
Oh, Cameron and Jules. From the minute Jules and Cam had their first wedding dance without any music, we had an inkling they were in it for the long haul. And we were right! The pair now have a baby together, who was born in October last year, and tied the knot properly after the show. So, yes - sometimes this wild experiment does work.
6 of 12Melissa Lucarelli and Dino Hira
Probably the worst matched couple on the series, it isn't shock the pair called it quits on the show after Dino allegedly recorded a conversation Melissa was having with her sister about the wedding day. It appears both are still single.
7 of 12Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli
Martha and Michael were an extremely drama free pair (in comparison to everyone else) so it's no shock that they have actually managed to stay together. Yay!
8 of 12Ning Surasiang and Mark Scrivens
Eek. Another very up and down pair, Ning and Mark's relationship dissolved during the final commitment ceremony - with Mark dumping Ning, much to her shock. Following the show, Mark moved on with another former reality star, Bianca Chatfield – who appeared on home renovation show The Block. And Ning also has a new partner.
9 of 12Susie Bradley and Billy Vincent
Susie and Billy were one of the couples who married later in the experiment. From the get go, Susie kept on calling Billy awkward - even calling him a deeb at one point on their honeymoon. They split before the final commitment ceremony. Susie is now dating former rugby pro Todd Carney and they have a baby on the way. However, Billy appears to be single.
10 of 12Ines Basic and Bronson Norrish
We knew this relationship wasn't going to last from the moment Ines asked Bronson to take out his eyebrow ring. Ines went on to have an affair with Sam, which Sam has since claimed was faked by producers, and it all came out during an explosive commitment ceremony. Bronson is now a lot happier with girlfriend Hayley Wallis. And from her Instagram, Ines looks to be single at the moment.
11 of 12Jessika Power and Mick Gould
Major cracks started to show in Mick and Jessika's relationship, then Jessika went after one of the newly weds, Dan. Not a shock that Jessica and Mick didn't survive then…(Neither did her affair with Dan, btw.)
12 of 12Dan Webb and Tamara Joy
After these two fell apart thanks to Jessika and Dan's affair, Tamara was linked to Jessika's ex, Mick. The drama never stops.
Melissa adds that, while she’s wanted to make changes to her face, the response of fans to her appearance on the show made her proud of her extrovert personality. She says, “I know I’m loud and I talk a lot, but I had a lot of messages from people who could relate to me and said that it was great that I was just being me. I don’t think anyone should be told to dull their shine.
“The experts kept saying they matched me with Dino because he could mellow me out, while I could encourage him to come out of his shell – but we all saw how that turned out! Now, when looking for a partner, I want someone who encourages me to be me and accepts that I can be loud and a big personality. I haven’t had any relationships since the show, but let’s hope 2021 brings me the goods!”
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Married At First Sight's Heidi Latchman: ‘The show taught me to accept myself’
In contrast to her fellow contestants, MAFS star Heidi says that what she learned most about her time on the show was self-acceptance – both inside and out.
The natural beauty, 40 – who was partnered with electrician Mike on the show – hasn’t had any surgical or cosmetic procedures and says she hasn’t been tempted to alter her appearance since finding fame, despite admitting she’s sometimes critical of how she looked in hindsight.
Radio presenter Heidi says, “Watching the show back, I had moments where I thought, ‘Ah, I don’t look good’. I found that, at times, I’d look really tired or not my best – and I realised I always looked my worst when I was struggling or stressed in my relationship.
“I looked my best when I was happy, which taught me a lot. I think no matter what you get done on the outside, if you’re happy on the inside, it shows. So because of that, I haven’t wanted to have surgery or fillers or anything. The show taught me to accept myself more, in a way.”
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